Dedicated to getting to the truth of things. A Christian since 1984. (Just a Christian, without pigeon-holing into a denomination.) I like people to be free to ask their questions about Christianity and the church. I like to approach faith questions with my brain switched on. A qualified classicist and historian.
Tweet: @colin_bluenose
And I don't look like James Garner. Enough about me already.

Saturday, 18 April 2015

The Christian God's personality: what is it?

The Biblical God has had his personality questioned more than a little of late. He's big enough to take it without losing his rag. But to understand the Biblical God’s personality, it is informative to look at his image - that is, Jesus himself.

A good thing to do is to read the gospels - try the Gospel of Mark - to see what makes Jesus joyful, sad, frustrated and angry. You can tell a lot about a man by what makes him angry, for instance.

So, in the Christian way of seeing it, there is no way better way to get to know God than to get to know Jesus. So what's his personality?

By personality we may mean "what aspects of Jesus distinguish him from other people?" I don’t think ‘personality’ is something one simply possesses like a kidney or a liver, so I’m suspicious of simplistic statements that try to put anyone’s “personality” neatly in a box.

We can infer personality from observing behaviour, because personality is to do with how we relate to other people and to God and to the world. We can tell a good tree or a bad tree by observing the fruit it produces.

So to list some of Jesus’ personality traits, I would include at least these, in no particular order:

Trusting and acceptingCan stand up against tradition/authority/the majority

Peaceful

Fair and genuine, disliking hypocrisy and injustice

Respecting others as well as himself

Consistent, faithful and steadfast

Gentle and encouraging

Gracious

Humble

Thoughtful

Patient and slow to anger

Quick to forgive

Not quick to judge

Polite

Wise

Intelligent and articulate

Loving and honest

Reliable

Hard-working

Attentive and responsive

Showing leadership

Taking responsibility

Concerned for others’ welfare

Strong moral/ethical standards and keeps his own standards

Able to give and receive love

Sense of humour

Self-disciplined

Warm-hearted

Bold

Sociable and tolerant

Vulnerable

Unpretentious

Putting others before himself

Prepared to be unpopular

Not a worrier

Conscientious and careful

Imaginative and creative

Composed

Practically minded

No-nonsense

Understanding

Adaptable

Confident

Spirited

Want to know Jesus better? I suggest reading any of the gospels in the Bible. Or all of them!